The Northern Tribes
by Singer Renn
Summary: A refugee from people that suffered genocide has been living in Konoha. He wishes to take apprentices to train in the same manner that he was. When allowed to do so nobody could have predicted the result.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**And So It Begins**

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The Village Hidden in the Leaves a unique place in the Elemental Countries.

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A ninja village both feared and respected by allies and enemies alike.

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Well known for its teamwork and the potency of its relatively small ninja population.

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It's leader the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Professor, the God of Shinobi.

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However this tale is not about this village itself, no it is about its inhabitants, and what happens when a dieing clan, that of a refuge in this village decides that it wants its legacy to live on, to make their mark on their new home. This is the story of a shinobi who having fled his homeland in order to survive hopes to pass on his clan's legacy, to bring the secrets of the far north to this new village, to be remembered.

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**_Author's Note_**

_This is my first story and I would like to say that I am writing it for me, no one else. I certainly hope that others enjoy it but if they don't then it really won't bother me. I would also like to point out that I use Canadian English so please don't tell me that I have a mistake in a diferent for of English. If I made a mistake in Japanese please tell me so that I mght inprove._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Convince the Fire Shadow**

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An elderly man sits at his desk, attempting to quell the flood of paperwork that threatens to overwhelm him. To the untrained eye he appears to be nothing but an overworked pencil pusher with a uniquely shaped hat. However with a closer look one is able to identify a toned body beneath the red and white robes, his eyes despite apparently focusing on his paperwork flit around the darkened office as though he is expecting someone to attack at any moment. You can see the relief from the monotony that is his life doing paperwork as his secretary pages him.

"Hokage-sama" the flighty voice of his secretary filters its way through the intercom, "Hyouden-san is here to see you. Are you available or shall I have him come back tomorrow." Now Sarutobi was well known to be welcoming to his ninja should they need to see him but they rarely came so late unless their petition was urgent. It was therefore with slight apprehension that he replied.

"Hai Baika-san, please send him in."

"Right away Hakage-sama."

The elderly Hokage tidies his desk for his visitor and pulled out and lit his pipe in order to relax his nerves. A moment later a rather distinctive white clad shinobi entered and bowed in front of the paperwork-laden desk. Most people would consider his dress to be odd for a leaf shinobi and they would be correct. The loose white pants that flare out until the ankle where they suddenly come in close enveloping a soft white boot within their folds. The shirt a tunic that comes to mid thigh, white again yet divided by a delicately carved silver chain that hung around his hips, it dangling down his left thigh. A hooded white cloak edged in sapphire blue marking illegible to most was thrown over his shoulders and held closed at the neck by a brooch of a snowflake superimposed by a sapphire leaf toped off the outfit. As he rose out of his bow he lifted the hood of the cloak revealing a slender face with piercing sapphire blue eyes and hair that delicately framed his features giving a rather effeminate appearance. His voice however was male despite a rather musical tone. "Hokage-sama, I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time."

"Of course Koori-san, what can I do for you." Sarutobi replied calmly despite his inner misgivings that he would later come to regret this conversation.

"When I arrived in this village as a refugee and was asked to lend my tribes talents as a tokubetsu jounin I was informed that I would be allowed to take on apprentices that I could train in a manner similar to that of my people. Do you still stand by this statement?"

"Hai, I do. May I ask why you are coming to me about this now?"

"I have only recently managed to secure my position within the village as a skilled jounin that would be allowed to take on a genin squad and I could not in good conscience take on apprentices if I was not deemed qualified to take on a genin squad. As for why at this particular moment there are four young men who have just registered to begin their stay in the academy that would be perfect for me to train. They have the proper mindset to begin their training as they are as of yet unspoiled by the views of the academy instructors. They would receive training from their clans and myself while at the same time learning the material that they would in the academy. They could take the genin exam at the minimum age and then be allowed to leave with myself on their training journey as I begin their real training."

"May I ask which young men you are interested in?" Sarutobi asked silently pleading that it wasn't the newest Uchiha, he had enough jounin scrambling for that placement as it was.

"They are: Nara Shikamaru, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Uzumaki Naruto." Koori replied calmly. "While they would all become fierce protectors of this village on their own I feel that my training would be able to work well for them."

"You are aware of their status within the village."

"If you are referring to Shino-kun, Shikamaru-kun and Kiba-kun's status as clan heirs yes I am aware. I am also aware of Naruto-kun's unique status as a jinchūriki then I am most certainly aware."

"You are not concerned by what the council's reaction will be?"

"I don't believe they would have any input on it. It would be the decision of yourself and the first three boy's clan heads whether they are permitted or not and as for Naruto. Are you not his legal guardian?"

"I am. However I am also accused on a regular basis for showing favouritism towards him. How would assigning him a teacher with skills such as valuable as your own be seen any other way?"

"Hokage-sama, you did not assign him to me. I requested him. That there is your solution, as it would be a ninja taking on an apprentice not a ninja taking a mission."

"I suppose you are correct in that respect. However, I must know what your intentions towards Naruto-kun are, you are not the first to approach me with an offer to care for him only for me to later find that the position was used in order to cause further damage."

"Hokage-sma need I remind you why it was that my tribe was the victim of genocide? Why it was that I was sent away in order to preserve our knowledge?"

"I am sorry Koori-san, I forgot your history for a moment. I hope you can forgive my lapse in judgement. I meant no offence I simply worry for him and could not stand to send more hardship his way. "

"I understand Hakage-sama, and I accept your apology I know what it is like to watch someone that you care for be broken by the world."

"Yes I suppose that you do. Now I assume that you would like to set up a meeting between the two of us and the guardians of the prospective students. I have no problem doing so but I will need to know where, when and other such details?"

"I feel it would be best to meet with the parents tomorrow while the boys are not yet actually enrolled in a class. This way we would not be stepping on anyone's toes. I believe that we could all meet at my compound my gardens would provide a lovely backdrop for the discussions."

"Yes tomorrow would be best. I shall send messages to them immediately. Would you like for the boys to be present as well."

"Yes that probably would be best. I believe they would enjoy exploring what might be their classroom for the next five eight years, if their parents accept."

"I agree, it would be beneficial to do so. Until tomorrow then Koori-san, we will be at your compound at 1100 hours for the meeting."

"I look forward to your company. Until then Hokage-sama." With that Hyouden Koori shunshined away leaving a swirl of ice crystals spinning for a moment until they disappeared on their way to the ground."

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe for a moment before calling in one of his ANBU in order for them to deliver the necessary messages before chuckling at what might come to pass due to taking children with so much potential out of the ninja academy. Only time would show the full results.

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**_Author's Note_**

_I am actually enjoying writing this so it may get to a somewhat decent length soon. My chapters will probably be short as I have no experience with them. My favourite authors do not use them instead relying on page breaks and the intelligence of the reader. Tell me how I did._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Meet the Parents**

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The Village Hidden in the Leaves is a very unique from the perspective of an urban planner. A large wall encloses it, however it is riddled with forests throughout. There are areas designated to various purposes such as administration or trade that are connected by the major thoroughfares. Finally there are the residential districts. There are clan compounds and high-rises throughout the village yet there are certain areas where a certain type of people spring up. Some call the inhabitant bohemian others use less flattering names however it remains that these sections of the village sprung up on their own, often forgotten by the council that would be able to control them.

It was one such community that the Sandaime Hokage was leading a group of three adults and four children towards. After exchanging greetings at the Hokage Tower they had remained for the most part silent. However it couldn't last long.

"Hokage-sama, might I ask exactly why you are leading us into the artist's district? I fail to understand why we would be needed here." The speaker was Inuzuka Tsume the matriarch of the Inuzuka clan as well as a skilled kunoichi.

"The reason that we are coming here is that the gentleman who we will be meeting with just so happens to have his compound at the centre of this district. Also It is quickest to come this way as opposed to taking the main streets and having to be bowed to every five steps." Replied the wizened man as he continued on his way towards a set of large white enamelled doors surrounded by a wall covered in paintings of snow tipped trees. He knocked three times at the doors when they were quickly opened by Koori who was wearing a cheongsam that while radically different from what he had worn the day before was done in the same colour scheme.

"Hokage-sama, you are right on time. Please come in I have everything prepared on the terrace." Once everyone had entered and he had secured the gate he led the way through various paths until coming to a stone terrace with a cast iron table set with a tea service. He invited them all to sit and then began to pour while Sarutobi introduced him to the others.

"Everyone this is Hyouden Koori, one of my jounin. He came to my office with a proposition that regards your children and Naruto here, and I felt that it was a situation that would benefit everyone. Koori-san would you like to explain."

"Well I suppose I should, but before I begin perhaps the boys would like to explore." At their eager faces they were sent off and Koori again began to speak, "I am not sure if you know exactly who I am, and I hate to bother you with my life story but it is necessary if you are to understand my proposition. First off I will ask you to say what it is that you know about me so that I don't waste my time."

When all of the adults turned to stare at Nara Shikaku his head dropped but he began to give a summary of what was known about the white clad man. "Hyouden Koori, you were only just promoted to jounin despite having held the tokubetsu jounin rank for over five years. You arrived in Leaf just over a year past the Kyubbi's attack. You specialize in genjutsu and tessenjutsu. Your missions are typically a blend of infiltration and assassination."

"Well, that is actually more then I expected you to know. I was born into a tribe that while not comprised of ninja did teach the ninja arts. Our territory was far north of Earth Country and we had little contact with the Elemental Countries. We were a peaceful people however the gifts that we had, similar in nature to a Kekkei Genkai, made people fear us. When I was only eight years old the other tribes sought to destroy mine. The result was genocide, I only survived as I was undergoing an initiation right at the time. When I returned from my tribe's temple I saw my people lying everywhere dead. I returned to the temple and began to collect everything that I could. I was lucky that we kept all of our ancestral possessions within the temple or they would have been lost. I eventually made my way here to Leaf where I was granted amnesty as a refugee. I joined the shinobi ranks on the condition that I would be allowed to take on apprentices who would be taught in the same ways as my tribe was. I am now prepared to do so which brings us to where we are now." Koori had been calmly telling the story in a detached manner that shocked the other adults until they looked at his eyes, which had darkened until they were nearly black, betraying his emotions.

Aburame Shibi was the first to speak after Koori's closing words, his voice betraying no emotion what so ever "So it is your intention to take our sons as your apprentices. Why exactly?"

"My tribe had a unique method of training that I believe would be beneficial to them. Your family styles all have the capability of working together and could be supplemented by my training methods. Finally I do not see any of these young men succeeding in the Ninja Academy in both the academic and social fields, an apprenticeship allows for them to have a more personalized academic plan while still interacting with their peers outside of their lessons."

Shikaku was next with a lazy query "While those were all valid points why should we allow our children to enter an apprenticeship. If they were to do so it has been statistically proven that they will take up your style and skills, instead of those of their clan. Why should we allow our clan heirs to sacrifice their traditional skills in exchange for skills that are not native to Leaf?"

"I have no intention of replacing their skills. It would be my intention to each of them alone one afternoon each week while they meet as a group each morning and on the final day I would have all four. The weekends would be for them to do what you allow for social activities. This would allow for three afternoons a week to train with your clans. That is actually more time then they would normally receive for clan training then if they were to attend the Academy."

Tsume was the only one to ask the question that they all want answered "At what point would this Tribe Training begin and what is it exactly? I need to know what I would be signing my son over for."

"The training would occur after the four of them are made genin as I would need them to be registered ninja in order for them to go on a training journey of sorts. As for what the training entails, it would essentially unlock the most potential possible for a particular chosen speciality. It enables for the creation of what is in essence a kekkei genkai for an individual that will not be passed on. For myself my appearance and hidenjutsu are result of my personalized training. I was able to transport this building here from my homeland to here to serve as my home. This was the same building that served as my family's temple." Seeing them all shocked at that he decided to give them a further chance for questions. "Are there any points that you would like answered?" Much to everyone's surprise it was at that point that all four boys rushed onto the terrace a white tiger behind them. "Oh my!" Koori gasped as all of the adults reached for their kunai, "It appears as though you have been exploring if you managed to find Koyuki here. Koyuki is my mount, my primary means of transportation outside of Leaf. I actually received her by going through the training. I almost got a polar bear but I thought that a tiger suited my style better in that I could pass her off as an exotic pet." Seeing them still staring at his tiger he sighed. "Well have you come to a conclusion?"

Shikaku was the spokesman for the quartet as he asked the fateful question smiling "When do they start?"

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**_Author's Note_**

_Three short chapter's in one day. I'll probably do a timeskip since I have no interest in doing eight years worth of training with little boys. I want to get into a world where it is my rules ... and it is comming up next_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Parents Talk

As Koori showed them to the door with the promise of dinner the next evening where they would discuss the apprenticeship in greater detail Sarutobi turned and offered to watch the children so that they could get to know each other better while the parents went off to discuss on their own. The three Jonin ranked parents gladly accepted and fled to a nearby teahouse before their leader could realize what a large mistake he had made in agreeing to watch four chibi ninjas to be.

Once they had arrived at their table and placed their order Tsume and Shibi turned the full power of their combined glare on the Nara. Tsume decided to be the spokesperson, "Alright Shikaku, fess up. We both know that you know far more then what you mentioned when it comes to Koori-san. I bet that yajin knew it too."

"Now now Tsume, there is no reason to insult our student's new teacher, but I do agree with you that he was aware. After all it would not do for one of Konoha's most accomplished ninja to not be able to detect when someone withholds information, especially if that ninja specializes in infiltration."

Shikaku sighed knowing that his chance of escape against the pair of trackers was below zero. "Fine, what do you want to know."

Tsume began the questions "What do we not know about his heritage?"

"I would assume a great deal, but that is not what you want to know. Beyond what he has already told us their was very little that is on public or village record. Here is a report on him, read it for yourselves, it's too troublesome to explain." With that he pulled a thin scroll out from behind his back tossing it to Shibi. The information was short and to the point as was appropriate for what was essentially a military dossier.

Name: Hyouden Koori

Age: 21

Rank: Jonin

Specialty: Genjutsu, Tessenjutsu, Hidenjutsu, Bojutsu, Fuinjutsu, Iryojutsu, Dokujutsu, Kenjutsu

Missions: D-Rank = 0, C-Rank = 0, B-Rank = 72, A-Rank = 54, S-Rank = 27

"Well he certainly is well rounded." Tsume deadpanned while Shibi simply hummed in contemplation.

"Yes he is, and moreover his skill set does not incorporate any Konoha specific skills what so ever. He is the perfect assassin in that he cannot be traced back to us and his usual method is strange. He somehow has a true title, and is an ambassador from the distant north; he will enter a daimyou's fortress conduct his business then after all the paperwork has been signed he leaves. In the near future they are found dead." Shikaku explained, "When he uses infiltration he essentially enters as an entertainer, kisses his targets and they die within a week. The ANBU forces still have no clue as to how he does it but he does."

Shibi was the next to speak, "Do you have any clue as to what he meant by tribe? He referred to it many times but I am unable to determine just what he meant."

"A tribe is similar to a village I suppose, although that isn't a perfect example. Koori-san is from the Hyouden clan, which was banded together with two other clans. This was their tribe, I believe the name was Chuushin. They were located far to the north of Tsuchi No Kuni where our system of government has still not taken root. These tribes control the territory and there are few permanent settlements. The Chuushin was considered to be one of the strongest of the tribes, mainly due to the sheer diversity of skill, when in came to their warriors, and political connections with many far-flung lands."

"I take it then that Koori-san has inherited these political connections?" Shibi asked searching for clarification.

"Yes, as well as the source of his tribe's diversity. Many of the other tribes regarded them as oddly religious for some reason, and accredited their abilities to spiritual power."

Tsume narrowed her eyes at the lazy nin as though trying to figure out what was going on inside his head. "Koori-san mentioned a Kekkei Genkei of sorts. Do you suspect that it might have been the cause for the belief in those so called spiritual powers?"

"I honestly have no idea, you must remember that he does live in what was once a temple, and he mentioned an initiation right. It is possible that there is a spiritual element. Perhaps it is just another method of manipulating chakra that those of us in the elemental nations never discovered. I do know that the Hyūga clan refuse to look at them with their Byakugan activated, according to the reports it gives them a headache like their trying constantly seeing something out of the corner of their eye."

"What do you mean 'corner of their eye' they only have a single blind spot out of 360° vision, how can they have a corner!?" Tsume burst in out of shock.

"I believe it is more a case where they chose an existing expression to describe a situation that was similar. Perhaps it is the case that they can see hints of something yet no matter how hard they may concentrate on it, they are unable to find it." Shibi provided as a means of clarification for the confused woman. Shikaku nodded his agreement as Shibi continued "In any matter it is not of extreme importance. However, do we believe that having him teach our children would be to their advantage?"


End file.
